The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-22

human wisdom, ever prone to reject
the spiritual the invisible, and hold
fast the temporal, the perishable
They thus rejected the lowly Nazarene,
who yielded to be smitten and would
again. They neglected and over
looked the jewel at their feet, and eazed
star,of for that which was nigh at hand
1.-THE fools eyes are to the ends of the
earth"
What works did Jesus refer to when
he said IF ye were Abrsham's children
We would do the works of Abraham. )"
The work OF sacrifice; the willingness
to live by every word that proceedeth
forth from the mouth of God. Gods
test of Abraham, in requiring the offer
ing up OF his son Isaac, was great
one, by which the tenderest part of his
nature was touched, the most vulner-
able spot assalled, as being the most
likely to yield. Here is where the test
will come to all. The strength of a
cham is the strength of its weakest
link. We will probably be required to
sacrifice that which will mostly affect
US. Jesus when he told a certain man
man to give all that he had to the
weakest spot, for Notwithstanding he
claimed he had kept all of Gods COR
mandments, yet he loved his riches
more than his God. The Savior re-
marked that it was hard, for this
reason, for 3 rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven. Not because of
his riches, for God himself is rich, but
because of the love of riches which
many allow to lead them astray.
Abraham did not arsue with the
Almighty when required to offer up his
son, and quote presidents in order to
escape the ordeal; his faith accepted
the living oracle, as against the dead
letter of the law all seeming neon
sistencies he waived. and went forward
to obey the command of God.
If the Jews had been like their
father Abraham they would not have
put to death the living oracle, con-
demning bin by their false and narrow
Interpretation of the word. The his.
tory of the offering up of Isaac was
greatly abridged, yet imagination could
supply the feelings of Abraham in
yielding to the behest of Deity. Human
nature is the same in all ages. Abraham
was brave man; not one of those cal
loused souls who could face without a
sense of danger the lannon's mouth:
this is not the highest courage; true
courage is to sense danger, to feel its
presence, yet go forth facing that dan
ger at duty's call. He related an Incl
dent of two soldiers, one full of solemn
imagination, the other gay and reck-
less, both waiting for the order to ad-
vance. The latter cracked a Joke, and
turned to the other who was pale and
solemn and said: You are afraid"
The reply came Il do fear, but stand
here ready go forward when The word
comes. You, with half my fear, would
ran" This is the test of courage, of
faith, of integrity not to do something
we would as lief do as not, but
to Go that which involves sac
rifce. It takes giant souls to
pass through ordeals similar to that
of Abraham. If We were Abraham's
{ .hildren, ye would do the works of
The Latter day Saints
claim to be such, and that by their
ihey will be entitled to the
blessings pronounced upon the ancient
patriarch.
They believe the Lord has set His
hand to gather scattered Israel; that all
men are carving out the purposes of
the Almighty. The Saints were gath
erlng TO the tops of the mountains, in
VA PSOPhCOJ tuSE were
making straight the paths of the
Lord Behold" says He, Il will
S nd my messenger aud he shall pre-
pare the way before me, and the Lord
ye seek shall suddenly come to His
temple" The blood OF Israel has per-
hsps flowed in the veins of all great
men CT the nations to q greater or lesser
degree, aud the Lord is using them to
further His purposes. So it was in an
cient days. This was shown TO be the
case in m" times of Cyrus and
NebuchadDezzar. The bishop cited the
discovery of this continent by Columbus,
who was moved upon by the spirit of
the Lord IN fulfilling the de-
signs OF the Almighty, in unvei!-
ing o the world the land of freedom.
Cromwell's career, was also an ex-
ample; likewise Martin Luther's. His
life was in jeopardy because of his
honest views, and when summoned to
retract what he had written against
the Pope, he said: Until l am CON
Vinced by reason and the Scriptures that
I am wrong, cannot. Here l stand;
God help mel" God did help him.
The plshop pictured the coming to
America of the Pilgrim Fathers, the
raising up of Washington and the pa
triots, and subsequently, the advent of
Joseph Smith, preaching the gospel of
peace, after the thuEders of war had
died away. Joseph prepared the way
for One Mightier yet to come, just as
his way had been prepared before him.
This coming again of Jesus was a grand
proof to be given to the world that He
indeed rose from the dead.
1t is hard to discourage q people who
believe these things, who will live by
every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God, who will adhere to the
truth in adversely as well as in pros
perity; who can say: Il know that my
Redeemer liveth; and though, after my
skin, worms destroy this body, yet in
my Aesh shall see God" 1t matters
not whether we are rich or poor, sick or
well. bond or free, if we know God is
our father, Jesus our Savior, and that
We are engaged in doing His work.
Bishop Whitney here read portion
of the favorite. old hymn:
How firm foundation, We Saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more eau He say than to you he hath
said
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fed?